Nintendo Switch: 10 nature-themed games on the eShop

Nintendo Switch: 10 nature-themed games on the eShop

Nintendo Switch

Spring is upon us and the call of nature is getting stronger these days, but can it also find expression in the cold digital world of video games? There is some experience, and in this article we try to put together some suggestions in this sense with 10 nature-themed games that can be downloaded from the Nintendo Switch eShop. These are titles that have nature as their main theme, or that simply offer experiences in which immersion in natural environments is predominant, so much so as to characterize the whole gameplay or the atmosphere that derives from it. In short, we are not yet properly in the "good season" but in the meantime we can begin to breathe its scents also in the videogame world and these suggestions can give some indication on where to find potential digital florilegiums, looking for them among different games focused on different subjects, but all in some way linked to the presence of nature as a constant element.

A Short Hike

A Short Hike, a scene from the game The exploration of a natural environment is the main element of A Short Hike, a small open world definitely out of the box like aesthetic and structure choices but which can easily be included in this selection. Claire, the protagonist of the game, is a young female bird who finds herself momentarily entrusted to her aunt, who is a Hawk Peak park ranger. Claire is a modern "girl", normally tied to her digital habits, so when she finds herself completely isolated from technology and the internet in the middle of nature she decides to climb a big mountain to find some field and receive a important phone call. This initial thrust soon turns into a progressive immersion in the surrounding scenery, leading the protagonist to an ever stronger fascination for the nature of the park, while the path loses its original connotation and becomes in effect an adventure through woods, streams. , lakes and mountains.

Direct link to A Short Hike on Nintendo eShop

Sunrise: A Wildlife Adventure

Sunrise: A Wildlife Adventure, an image on the island Mediterranean protagonist of the game Halfway between edutainment and adventure, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a game strongly focused on nature, which teaches respect for the ecosystem and also represents a sort of denunciation against the uncontrolled exploitation of the territory for purposes economic and commercial. Alba is a girl who returns after years to the Mediterranean island where she spent her summers as a child, discovering however that this is about to be deeply upset by the construction of a gigantic hotel with an attached tourist resort, in place of the nature reserve that covered much of the area. The protagonist and her friend Ines then try to oppose the construction of this eco-monster, relying on the inhabitants of the island to make the most of what is the real treasure of this: her natural environment. Between small puzzles and a lot of exploration, youth empowerment and naturalistic notions, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a real summer immersion in the nature of a Mediterranean island.

Direct link to Alba: A Wildlife Adventure on Nintendo eShop

Firewatch

Firewatch: the wonderful woods that form the scenery A valid example of how nature becomes a characterizing element of the experience even if it is not the protagonist of the story or gameplay is Firewatch, one games that have substantially defined and brought to the fore the so-called "walking simulator" genre. Such a mechanic goes perfectly with fascinating natural settings and this contact is particularly fruitful in this game. The first-person narrative adventure stages the story of Henry in his early days as a forest ranger at Shoshone Park, Wyoming, in 1989. What appears to be the normal course of this occupation, which is control of the landscape and his securing, progressively turns into something unexpected, with mysteries to solve and exciting twists, which reveal the background on the main character and his supervisor Delilah, whose voice is a constant element in the game, within the long dialogues that counterbalance solitary exploration in the heart of the park.

Direct link to Firewatch on Nintendo eShop

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley, a game screenshot Tra the experiments seen in the indie field, Stardew Valley is one of those that has been so successful that it has become a phenomenon. The game brings together seemingly disparate characteristics from different genres in an unprecedented way, creating a mix that works wonderfully and is able to capture from the start and not let the player go easily. The nature here is clearly stylized, but the relationship with the surrounding environment is the foundation of the gameplay, which sees us engaged in the management of fields, exploration and combat. Having inherited the old family farm, the protagonist moves to Stardew Valley to start a new life, but what he finds is something much more complex and multifaceted than he could think: in addition to farming it becomes necessary to explore dungeons, fight monsters, collect resources, build objects and bring the whole village to new life, at the same time maybe even taking care of some romantic relationships.

Direct link to Stardew Valley on Nintendo Switch

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

While it may not seem like it at first glance, few games make you feel the contact with nature like Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Obviously this is a rather imaginative and cartoonish interpretation, but there are not many titles that really put us in front of the changing seasons, with the consequences that this brings to flora and fauna in real time.

In Animal Crossing these elements have great importance, and the spring awakening - for example - is rendered with great care and grace inside the island, between the opening of flowers and the arrival of insects, plants , fish and fruit suitable for this phase of the year. Much of the activities to complete have to do with these natural elements, so if you want a game that puts you in close contact with the earth, trees and animals, then Animal Crossing: New Horizons is probably one of the most popular choices. guess what you can do, besides the fact that it is a damn addicting game and able to capture more or less any type of player in its mechanisms.

Direct link to Animal Crossing: New Horizons on Nintendo eShop

The First Tree

The First Tree: an image of the fox protagonist in a nocturnal scenario Nature and humanity merge and show their deep points of contact in The First Tree, a fascinating third-person exploration game that stages two parallel stories: on the one hand that of a fox in search of his lost cubs and on the other that of a son, who recovers a bond with his father in Alaska. The First Tree is however focused on the figure of the fox and it is this that dominates the action, with the player intent on controlling it within wonderful natural landscapes, but its progress in the path is intertwined with the narration of the story of the son, through documents, memories and secrets that are discovered by the animal as it wanders through the scenarios. In this growing towards the source of life we ​​also approach a profound reflection on this and on death, in a constant parallelism with the events of the fox and its progressive journey towards the First Tree, which contains the self, the secrets and the points of contact between the two stories.

Direct link to The First Tree on Nintendo eShop

Story of Seasons

Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, a scene from the game We bring together in a single solution both Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town and Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town, which are essentially the same in game structure and general experience, with the first perhaps more original and characteristic but the second more recent and with some interesting additions, so it's a matter of choosing between two equivalent titles. In both cases, it is an evolution of the Harvest Moon concept with some additions more times to adventure and exploration than just management and life simulation. In practice, it is an experience very similar to that of Stardew Valley between cultivation, research of materials, construction and management of the farm and the village, but in this case everything is filtered through the particular Japanese aesthetic, which can provide a extra gear if you have the right predisposition. Between crops, sorties into the surrounding nature and dialogues with bizarre characters, Story of Seasons is a relaxing digression into a busy but also relaxing world.

Direct link to Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town on Nintendo eShop

Direct link to Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town on Nintendo eShop

Shelter Generations

Shelter Generations, the lynx family protagonist of the story The Shelter series started as a project innovative experimental, putting the player in the role of a wild animal struggling with the constant dangers of the natural world and man, all represented also with a truly unique graphic style. Shelter Generations represents the complete collection of the entire experience created by Might & Delight, complete with additions such as interactive stories and the splendid soundtrack, which in total represents one of the most fascinating immersions in nature that can be experienced through a video game. The absolute protagonists are wild animals, the difficulties they go through to survive and the strong bond that holds the herd and the family together. In the package we find adventures from different points of view: in Shelter 2 we are a mother lynx who raises and protects her puppies in a beautiful and ruthless world, while in Paws: A Shelter 2 Game the perspective is reversed and we find ourselves in the fur of a puppy discovering the wonders and dangers of nature.

Direct link to Shelter Generations on Nintendo eShop

Cozy Grove

Cozy Grove: an image of the island color completing the quests There is no doubt that Cozy Grove was built looking at Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, yet, thanks also to its curious graphic characterization, it has managed to find its own specific identity. Its tender and melancholic tone is made unmistakable by the 2D drawing used as the basis for the construction of the strange enchanted world in which the action takes place, which sees a "ghost scout" grappling with the rebirth of an island inhabited by ghosts. This strange tone halfway between the romantic and the gloomy is something that is not easily found elsewhere and finds a perfect expression in Cozy Grove, in a perfect blend of graphic characterization, soundtrack and bizarre situations. Here it is obviously not a question of recalling nature in a realistic sense, but seeing the island gradually regain its colors and liveliness based on our actions is something perfectly in line with the spring spirit that we are looking for among the video games presented in this selection.

Direct link to Cozy Grove on Nintendo eShop

Haven Park

Haven Park, an image of the game with the chick Flint at work In a perfect mix With inspirations from Animal Crossing and A Short Hike, Haven Park places us in the feathers of the tender chick Flint, grappling with a mission of considerable importance. In fact, he must restore and restart the management of the Haven park, given that the grandmother who owns the place is no longer able to take care of it, leaving the commitment on the shoulders of the little protagonist. The game is a sort of management system all centered on camping life in contact with nature, with Flint having to reconstruct various areas of the park, take care of the natural elements and put the small accommodation facilities for tourists and adventurers back on their feet, in order to bring back visitors and life within its fascinating settings. There is no doubt that Haven Park draws inspiration from other decidedly more famous titles, but its particular characterization, starting from the chick protagonist, still makes it a characteristic and pleasant title, which succeeds perfectly in the intent to relax and make us escape in a scenario fascinating.

Direct link to Haven Park on Nintendo eShop

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